Tack driver and puller



Sept. 28, 1937; LIPSOIN TACK DRIVER AND FULLER Filed Nov. 27, 19 36ZEWWMI WITNESSES INVENTOR J JI vt Lz/ som ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 28,1937 UNITED s'r T s PATENT OFFICE I 2,094,459 7 v '1 TACK DRIYER, ANDPULLER' I Y Nat Lipson, New York, N. Y. Application November 27, 1936,Serial No. I

Claims.

This invention relates to tack drivers and pullers, and has for anobject the provision of an improved device of this character which isparticularly suited for driving and pulling thumb tacks 5 and which isprovided with shock absorbing means which facilitates the operation ofthe device and eliminates the sharp impact shocks resulting from thedriving of the tack.

A further object is the provision of an improved tack driver and pullerwhich is of simple and inexpensive construction; which is convenient tooperate both in the driving and pulling of tacks, particularly thumbtacks, and which is formed with an adjustable spring connection betweenthe handle and plunger portion so as to driving and pulling thumb tacks,and. is prima- I rily designed for that purpose. It may, however, beused in driving and pulling carpet tacks or the like.

For a fuller understanding of the invention, reference should be had tothe accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is aside view of the tack.driver and puller embodying my invention, showing how it may be used todrive a tack; v

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal'sectional View of the tack driver and puller;

Fig.3 is a detail view partially in section of the end of the plunger;and v Fig. 4 is a plan view of the plunger.

My device consists of a plunger indicated at In for engaging a tack, ahandle I l for manipulating the plunger, and a shock absorbingconnection between the plunger and the handle for preventing thetransmission of any impacts to the hand of the operator. The plunger ispreferably formed of a rod or cylindrical member made of metal, and isformed with a flat, blunt end I4 for engaging the tacks and driving themhome.

To hold the tack in proper position with respect to the end of theplunger and to aid in 4 pulling the tack, I provide a cap l5 over theend 14, formed so as to engage the under surface of the head of thetack. The cap may be formed integral with the plunger [0, or be securedtherein in any desired manner. In the device illus- 50 trated in theaccompanying drawing the cap is formed of a separate member. So as toprovide a smooth external finish on the plunger, the end 14 is ofreduced diameter and the .cap I5 is secured around this portion of theplunger. The

55 cap consists of a cylindrical shell l6 having a hood the plunger Fig.2, the pin being preferably disposed at an 1 I! formed at the endthereofythe hood being a segment of acircle a little largerthan asemicircle and being spaced from the end of the plunger a slightly.greater distance than..the thickness of the head of a tack. The hood I1,5 as appears most clearly from Fig. 3, preferably tapers from theperipheral edge'thereof towards the straight side, and a tapering slot[8 extends from the center of the straight side of the hood to a pointjust beyond the center of the end of 10 the plunger, as shown mostclearly in Fig. 4. In this way, the hood I! may be placedun'derthe headof a tack, with the abutment walls'l l of'the plunger engaging the topof the headtof thetack, and with the slot I8 engagin'g the sidesof'the 5shaft of the tack, as appears most clearly-from Figs. 1 and ;2. The capI5 is held in position'on by any suitable means such' as a pin I9.

' For manipulating the plunger 7 I0, I provide theizho handle II, whichis hollow, the internal di'ameter being of suchga size that the plungermay be inserted therein with the end l4 and the cap-l5 projectingbeyondthe end of thehand-le.

' So that too sudden a shock is not' transmitted fi I to the hand of theoperato'r when the handle H is grasped and pressure applied to"drive*atack home, I provide a shock absorbing connection between the han'dle'lland the plun ger, lll consisting of a spiral spring 2|] secured, at oneemi around the reduced end portion 2 l of the plunger. To hold theplunger inposition inth'ejhandle, a pin 22'is extended across theinsideof the handle adjacent the end thereof, as' show n in angleapproximating the angle of the wire forming the spring 2|]. The springZOand the adjacent end of the plunger II] are then. inserted in the hollowhandle I I until the spring contacts the pin 22. The plunger I0 is thenrotated in proper direction to cause the spiral spring to feed aroundthe pin 22. When the spring has been turned to the approximate positionshown in Fig. 2, the plunger and springwill then be held in position bymeans of the engagement of the spring with the pin 22. If the handle isthen grasped and pressure applied upon a tack, the first pressure willbe expended in compressing the spring 20. This pressure graduallyincreases as the spring approaches its fully compressed position, untilgradually the pressure is no longer expended in compressing the spring,but rather in driving the tack home. In this way there is no suddenimpact or shock occasioned by driving the tack home, but there is merelya gradual increase in pressure without sudden jars or shocks. Therelative positions of plunger l and handle H may be varied by rotatingthe plunger and spring, thereby causing the spring to feed to differentpositions with respect to pin 22. When it is desired to have the plungerproject to a greater degree beyond the end of the handle the spring andplunger are rotated until the pin approaches the free end of the spring,and when it is desired to have the plunger, project to a lesser degreethe spring and plunger are rotated in the opposit direction. a

the desired position and the handle I l is grasped in the hand in anyconvenient manner, such as that shown in Fig. l. The head of a tack 23is then inserted beneath thehood ILof the cap. I 5, with the shaftprojecting through the slot IS. The point of the tack is then placedagainst the surface into which it-is to be driven, and pressure isapplied against the end of 'the handle I I. The first result fromapplying pressure to the handle is the compression of springZG due tothe resistance offered by the tack. As the spring approaches fullycompressed position and the tension increases,th e point of .the tack 23gradually begins to enter thesurface- 24 and finally the entire pressureexerted against the end of the I handle is utilized in drivingthe tackhome. When the tack has .been .drivenhome, the hood I1 is then slid frombeneath the head of the tack. It

:will be seenthat at no time is there any sharp increase in pressureorany shock or jar occasioned by driving the tack home.

To pull a tack, the hood I! is inserted beneath the head of the tack 23with the slotor notch surrounding the shaft, The handle of the plungeris then manipulated in the manner of a lever, with the result that thetack may be conveniently pulled from position. v H g It will be seenthat by means of the present invention a tack driver and puller ofimproved construction has been provided, which is economical 45 tomanufacture, which may be conveniently operated to either drive or pulltacks, and which eliminates all sharp jars or shocks in driving tacks.

. My device as stated above, particularly 0 adapted for use, in drivingand pulling thumb tacks and is primarily designed for that purpose. Itshould be understood, however, thatit may, if desired, be used indriving and pulling carpet tacks or the like. I It should be understood,of course, that modifications might be made in the'i'llustrated anddescribed embodiment of the invention without departingfrom theinvention asset forth in the accompanying claims. 1

I claim: 1. In a tack driver and puller, a hollow handle,

a plunger disposed in said handle and having an abutment portion forengaging the head of a tack extending beyond the end of the handle, arelatively flat hood disposed over a part of the abutment portion andspaced a short distance therefrom for engaging the under surface of thehead of the tack, and a spring disposed in said handle and serving as ashock absorber between the handle andplunger; r a

2. In a tack driver and puller, a hollow handle,

x a plunger disposed in said handle and having an In using my device,the spring 20 is adjusted to" abutment portion for engaging the head ofa tack extending beyond the end of the handle, a relatively flat hooddisposed over a part of the abutment portion and spaced a short distancetherei from for. engaging the under surface of the head of the tack, andshock absorbing means between the plunger and handle comprising a spiralspring disposedin said handleand engaging the plunger at one end andhaving engagement with a pin extended across theinside of the handle'atthe other end so that the relative position of the pin and spring may bevaried by rotating the spring.

'3. A tack driver or the like, comprising a hollow handle, a plungerdisposed in said handle and having an abutment portion extending beyondthe end of the handle for engaging the head of a tack, and shockabsorbing means between the handleand plunger comprising a spiral springhandle, a relatively fiat hood disposed over a part of the abutmentportin and spaced a short distance therefrom forengaging the undersurface of the head of the tack, and shock absorbing means comprising aspring between said handle andplunger V 5. Ina tack driver and puller, ahollow handle, a plunger disposed in said handle and having an abutmentportionfor engaging the head of a 't'ack'extndi'ng beyond the endof thehandle, and shock absorbing means between 'the plunger andhandlecomprising'a pin extending across the inside of the handle and aspiral spring disposed in said handle and engaging the plunger at oneend and having engagement with the pin at the other endso that therelative position of the plunger and, handle maybe varied by rotatingthe 'NAT LresoN.

